CA - Rebecca Zahau Wrongful Death Revisited 2019

[devilsangeldoc]

So I am refreshing myself with this case. There is alot to read through so could someone tell me why the police ruled this a suicide?

The police don't make that ruling, the ME/coroner would make that determination. And IMO it seems there were a lot of "missteps" in this case from the moment initial responding officers prematurely assumed and called it a suicide. That should never happen. It should have been standard operating procedure for detectives and ME to consider this suspicious death a homicide *until ruled otherwise*. I believe there was a detective that did just that and I'd like to know how/why it was amended to suicide.

 

[devilsangeldoc]

Bc everything pointed to suicide.
Read up on her background.

The incident with Max Schacknai was the tipping point.

<modsnip - not an approved source>

It did? I don't think so. I was trained to always consider suspicious deaths, and esp. scenes presenting as suicides, *as homicides* until ruled out. There's a whole lot in this case that would keep it in this hom status or at best undetermined. This case needs to be revisited before a clearance for suicide. And the only background that matters in mod and cod is her medical hx and investigative findings from detectives specific to this crime scene, which all gets reported back to the ME.

 

[Betty P]

The police don't make that ruling, the ME/coroner would make that determination. And IMO it seems there were a lot of "missteps" in this case from the moment initial responding officers prematurely assumed and called it a suicide. That should never happen. It should have been standard operating procedure for detectives and ME to consider this suspicious death a homicide *until ruled otherwise*. I believe there was a detective that did just that and I'd like to know how/why it was amended to suicide.

It was kind of rushed, JMO. It seemed that, once they had enough information to deem it a suicide, that's what they did. There was quite a bit of evidence they didn't test, look for or address. JMO, they saw what they wanted to see, then closed the investigation. Once the COD was determined by them and the case closed, everything was cleaned up, digital searches, etc. stopped. JMO, they should have retrieved digital evidence for everyone that night.

ETA: The ME was a fairly new guy. Basically, there were a lot of questions about evidence, lack of testing, possible erroneous conclusions, etc., but the San Diego Sheriff's Office and ME basically have "stonewalled" the public for years. They put their (JMO flawed) case out to the public, then stuck with that story, refusing to further investigate.

Death of Rebecca Zahau - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[ilovewings]

It did? I don't think so. I was trained to always consider suspicious deaths, and esp. scenes presenting as suicides, *as homicides* until ruled out. There's a whole lot in this case that would keep it in this hom status or at best undetermined. This case needs to be revisited before a clearance for suicide. And the only background that matters in mod and cod is her medical hx and investigative findings from detectives specific to this crime scene, which all gets reported back to the ME.

It was kind of rushed, JMO. It seemed that, once they had enough information to deem it a suicide, that's what they did. There was quite a bit of evidence they didn't test, look for or address. JMO, they saw what they wanted to see, then closed the investigation. Once the COD was determined by them and the case closed, everything was cleaned up, digital searches, etc. stopped. JMO, they should have retrieved digital evidence for everyone that night.

ETA: The ME was a fairly new guy. Basically, there were a lot of questions about evidence, lack of testing, possible erroneous conclusions, etc., but the San Diego Sheriff's Office and ME basically have "stonewalled" the public for years. They put their (JMO flawed) case out to the public, then stuck with that story, refusing to further investigate.

Death of Rebecca Zahau - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This case as well as Ellen Greenberg are very similar. It was a perfect storm of poor police work and a poor ME or Coroner--in both cases. So many areas of poor investigation and jumping to conclusions that really do not comport with the evidence. All of us here have watched so many true crime stories and I have noticed (sadly) that it seems when a suspicious death occurs, detectives more often than I believe is warranted, are ready to call the death a suicide. Sometimes that ruling is made so soon, the crime scene is poorly investigated. I guess I am jaded but I sometimes think it is so much easier to call a case a suicide- a lot less work----not all detectives are Joe Kenda or other competent detectives. Plus., with respect to Zahau I think the family put pressure on law enforcement to put an end to the investigation.